Blonde on a Road Trip

Woke up today feeling as normal as I’ve felt since getting ill, and didn’t immediately reach for pain relief or medication when I woke up.

I still took my meds as normal, but feeling less dependent on them, which is good. Chest still feeling tight, but less coughing to go with it.

The sun is peeping out and it promises to be a nice day, so I’ve decided to go snorkelling at Shelly Beach, just around the bay from Manly, thanks to Holly’s recommendation. Apparently you can see some spectacular fish there and it’s very safe. Sounds good to me!

After some marmalade on toast, I packed my bag and set off to catch the Tube a few stops to Chatswood, where I’d get off and get the 144 bus towards Manly. Rather than go all the way there, I alighted just after Spit Bridge and then walked back on myself slightly to join the Spit Bridge to Manly Coastal Walk. Another girl with a backpack seemed to be doing the same thing, so I followed her with mild confidence.

Not long had I started walking before I decided that my jumper was surplus to requirements. It was about midday already and the temperature was climbing. As I stopped to take off my jumper, a lovely couple started talking to me, and they had proper hiking gear on as it turns out they’re training for a big walk in Tasmania in a few weeks where the weather could be sunny or snowing. Their names are Kathy and Kevin and they moved here in 1985. He’s a fellow Pom and she’s Canadian, from Alberta!

It wasn’t long before the lizard spotting began! And these ones certainly aren’t very shy. They must be very used to people walking past as some of them barely moved out of the way.

Lizards may be lining the floors, but the sky and bushes are alive with song, which is somewhat unusual here as the birds are generally more of the squawky variety and less of the sweetly lyrical variety. The kings of volume are generally the crows and cockatoos, but what caught my attention was the brilliant song and blue of the superb fairywrens in the bushes around me. Very quick to jump from branch to branch, just like a non-superb English wren, but I managed to grab a few pictures here and there.

They’ve got nothing on Padawan and Helen, but the male’s brilliant blue feathers did remind me of the gorgeous hues on the ducks’ feathers back at Blagrove!

I didn’t take pictures at every twist and turn, and at one point I lost Kevin and Kathy as they stopped for a drink and snack, but to be honest I was glad for a pause in small talk, and happy enough to walk the rest on my own.

I walked further down from Fairlight Lookout to Dobroyd Lower Lookout to see over the water.

It was about 1pm at this point and the sun was beating down. With my backpack and snorkelling gear in tow, I couldn’t wait to eat something and then get to snorkelling at Shelly Beach. I found a cafe on Google that looked to be about a 20-minute walk away, so that became the new Mecca that would guide my pilgrimage. I’d only been walking for about an hour at this point but it felt like I’d been out for a lot longer and the food kept feeling like it was getting further away…!

Looking at the crystal clear water, I was literally aching for a swim by this point, but knew I needed food first! I got myself a ginger lemon kombucha (not my favourite but looked healthy) and a Caprese panini for the road, which I ate while I sat on the bus for the remainder of the journey to Manly, cutting out a 20-minute walk and resting my legs for a minute. I got off the bus and then had a short 10-minute walk from Manly Beach to Shelly Beach, where it’s safe to snorkel and has some amazing fish swimming around it apparently!

On the way there, there’s a nicely designed sea pool, with sculpted vents and a sculpture on its outer wall. It’s also a lovely colour despite being full of seawater, which is also happens to be a nice colour! This would look quite different in Blackpool!!!

So, having got to Manly at about 2pm, having set off from Spit Bridge at about 12, I’d been on the move for 2 hours at this point, so I spent the rest of the afternoon snorkelling and drying off, and the snorkelling and drying off. The water wasn’t particularly warm, so I couldn’t stay in for long, but I did see a stingree, two rough flutemouths, a deep amber-coloured fish, a long catfish-like fish, and many others I’d be hopeless at describing. The water and my mask weren’t crystal clear, so it made it a bit tricky at times, but it was always exciting to see a new fish emerge!

Once I’d had a shower at the beach facilities and dried off for one last time, I walked back towards Manly, only to see a man paragliding right down onto the beach. Slightly bonkers but everyone had their hobbies! Maybe that’s how he commutes home on a good – who am I to judge?!

After last night’s late night, me and Michael both agreed on a night in, and I said I’d grab some salmon and things for dinner. (No offence to the fish I’d been swimming with all afternoon!)

I made my way to Harris Farm foods, which is a nice local seasonal produce kind of shop, with slightly higher prices, but great quality food. Has anyone ever tried a rambutan before?! They look like they want peeling first!

We fried the salmon and steamed some broccoli and asparagus and boiled up some rice and that was dinner. Bish bash bosh.

Then it was time to hit the hay after a long day!

21,886 steps covered, 14.62km walked!